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Shortlist for £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction revealed
The shortlist for the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction has been revealed by way of a treasure-hunt video.
The shortlist was announced at Abbotsford, home to the prize and to Walter Scott himself, and features authors from England, Ireland and The Netherlands.
The six books were revealed in the walled gardens, entrance hal, and grand library of Abbotsford, with the treasure-trail ending in Scott’s study at the desk where he wrote many of his works.
The six books on the shortlist, are:
- The Heart in Winter – Kevin Barry (Canongate)
- The Mare – Angharad Hampshire (Northodox Press)
- The Book of Days – Francesca Kay (Swift Press)
- Glorious Exploits – Ferdia Lennon (Fig Tree)
- The Land in Winter – Andrew Miller (Sceptre)
- The Safekeep – Yael van der Wouden (Viking)
Katie Grant, chair of this year’s judges, said: "From the escapades of young combatants in the Peloponnesian war in Sicily in the 5th century BC, to a tender story of families isolated at home in the great British winter freeze of 1962/3, the shortlisted novels for this year’s Walter Scott Prize paint a wide literary canvas of richness and subtlety. They are a celebration of storytelling, encompassing a tale of revenge and reconciliation in post-occupation Netherlands, a picture of family claustrophobia in Tudor England, an exhilarating cross-country adventure through the Wild West, and a revelatory exploration of evil – under a thick social disguise – in 1950s New York. Together, the books illustrate the founding principles of the prize, bringing stories set in the past into our own time, through fine writing that is infused with ambition and originality to produce novels guaranteed to live long in the memory."
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The 2025 judging panel comprised writer Katie Grant (chair), art historian James Holloway, children’s author Elizabeth Laird, broadcaster James Naughtie, writer and filmmaker Saira Shah, and two judges new to this year’s panel – previous Young Walter Scott Prize-winner Rosi Byard-Jones, and bookseller Rosamund de la Hey.
The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, now in its 16th year, is run by The Abbotsford Trust, which manages Scott’s home in the Scottish Borders and "celebrates and furthers Scott’s legacy".
It is supported by Hawthornden Foundation, the Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust, and the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry in memory of Elizabeth Buccleuch.
Matthew Maxwell Scott, great-great-great-great grandson of Walter Scott, and Trustee of Abbotsford, said: "The best historical fiction is not dry fact – it also tells us how the past felt, and holds a mirror to the present. By recognising the very best writing, the aim of the prize is to inspire more people of all ages to discover the joy and value of historical fiction, to give both established and emerging writers a wider readership, and to bring together authors, readers and audiences to celebrate and question each other. It is therefore wholly appropriate that this shortlist announcement comes direct from Abbotsford, the home of great historical fiction."
The winner of the 2025 Walter Scott Prize will be revealed on 12th June in a live event at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose, Scotland, and will receive £25,000. Each shortlisted author is awarded £1,500.
To qualify, books must have been written in English, be set more than 60 years ago, and have been published during 2024 in the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth.
